


servī līberīs similis

by Mossgreen



Series: 2770 ab urbe condita [70]
Category: 2770 ab urbe condita - Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ancient Rome, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, POV First Person, Slavery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2020-11-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:01:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27437020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mossgreen/pseuds/Mossgreen
Summary: Another in the occasional series written by Drusus Varius Metellus, explaining how slaves are like children.(While written in a first-person POV, this is a work of fiction and the opinions given here are those of a fictional character)
Series: 2770 ab urbe condita [70]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1059413
Comments: 21
Kudos: 21
Collections: 2770 ab urbe condita - the collected fiction





	servī līberīs similis

_salvēte, lēctores_!

Welcome to another article in this occasional series. Today’s topic is a bit of a departure for me, but I was asked to write it, so I have.

You will have heard the statement that ‘slaves are like children’ in multiple contexts. You are likely to have used the phrase yourself, in fact. But what does it actually mean, that a slave is like a child?

Well, firstly, neither a child nor a slave has autonomy. Each is under the authority of another - the parent or the owner. A child has to learn to wash, to dress, to feed herself, to read and write and dozens or even hundreds of other things. A slave, likewise, has to know these things - or a majority of them.

So, let us first examine the differences between your youngest child and your firstborn. The youngest has probably just run past you, stark naked, giggling at making his nurse catch him to get him dressed. The eldest, in contrast, is already dressed, and is panicking about having to turn in the homework that she has put off for so long that it isn’t complete, if it’s even been started.

They are both learning self-discipline. 

As the name suggests, this is discipline that comes from inside the self, though in the very earliest days, this is undeveloped and discipline must be exerted from outside, by someone else - a parent, a nurse, a teacher. All freeborn children learn self-discipline.

The slave differs from the freeborn in that discipline will always come from outside. He cannot be expected to learn self-discipline. He must follow orders given to him by his master, and if he fails to complete those orders satisfactorily and cannot give an acceptable explanation for the failure, he must accept the consequences, usually a punishment.

It is because discipline for a slave comes from outside that spanking is a suitable punishment for most slaves in most circumstances.

As your youngest child feels no shame in displaying himself naked in front of your guests and clients, your slave should likewise feel no shame if he is told to undress in front of your friends or clients. The nakedness of a child is innocent, the nakedness of a slave is a natural consequence of slavery. Slaves and children must be taught that there is a time and place for such things, although those times and places differ for each, and there are more times for slaves to be nude than for citizens (being sold, on arrival in the airports of major cities, simply for the master’s pleasure, the list goes on).

A child who answers back must be taught that that is unacceptable behaviour and there is a time and place for speaking. A slave who answers back must accept the consequences and learn their place - a gag is a useful tool to have available. I have previously mentioned my friend who uses soothers to reinforce politeness from his slaves - any backchat or verbal impudence is punished by making them suck a baby’s soother, which is pinned to their tunic for the duration of the punishment. Children do not know better and must be taught, slaves should know better and must be punished, once the infraction is made clear to them. (I have written elsewhere on the topic of reward and punishment and the importance of clear communication before carrying out whatever punishment is required.)

A child will come under the authority of the paterfamilias until they are of age, when they may leave the parental home to embark on a career or tertiary education elsewhere. Adult children may, in certain circumstances, be emancipated completely from their paterfamilias, becoming the head of their own family and household.

A slave, on the other hand, cannot become the head of a household until manumitted. Before that time, they are fully under the control of the head of the household, and are expected to adhere to his (or her) every wish. They have no rights except to flee to another citizen in cases of abuse (and then the abuse will be looked into and the slave may perhaps be sold to another owner. This system does not reward the slave with their freedom for then the system itself would be open to abuse). Unlike emancipation of a freeborn adult, manumission is not automatically conferred when the paterfamilias dies. If the head of the household dies, slaves are freed if provision is made in the will, otherwise they will go to the heirs along with the rest of the deceased person's property.

As children are expected to be cared for and protected by their paterfamilias, so should slaves be. The difference lies in ownership - a freeborn child owns herself, although her life will be directed by her parents and family. A slave is property, the possession of his master, who may treat the slave’s body as he wishes (although not to the extent of permanently harming it or inflicting severe trauma upon it that will decrease the slave’s value in the long term. Severe punishments without specifying what the slave is punished for will be looked upon as being abuse, in most cases.)

Emotions are another way in which children and slaves are similar. A child has not yet learned emotional maturity and may throw a tantrum, or sulk. Equally, excitement and happiness are very visible in children, they have not yet learned the gravitas of a mature citizen. Slaves, likewise, wear their emotions close to the surface, although you should not let them manipulate you simply through their emotional reactions - which is something easier said than done, I will admit. When anyone, free, slave, child or adult, bursts into tears, it is only natural to want to soothe them and put things to rights.

If your slave is crying because they are at fault and have been corrected for it, you should be as impervious to those tears as possible. If, however, it is due to some emotional upset, you should see that that is set right - not because of the slave’s tears, but because that is the right thing to do and you are a fair master.

Slaves and children must both request permission for things - in the case of the children, this is for their health and their safety. If your six-year-old daughter wants to go to her friend’s house after school, you need to know so that you don’t end up phoning the vigiles and setting a large-scale search in motion. If your slave wants to spend the afternoon at the chariot races, you need to know so that you can ensure their chores are done and you do not think he has absconded or been stolen or some such thing. 

Adult children have earned the courtesy of telling you that they will be home late, because they have earned your trust and they are free citizens and their own responsibility. Slaves, especially those in your house and under your immediate supervision, are always your responsibility. Slaves that you own who live elsewhere (for example, if you have a country estate) should be supervised by a trusted senior slave or freedman, who represents you to that household and who should be consulted in your place. 

Because according to the law a slave is alieni juris - that is, under the jurisdiction of someone else other than the state; his person and body belong to his master by law - you are responsible for your slave if she gets in trouble with the law. Like children, they cannot take legal responsibility and so you are answerable for them - not to the extent of facing judicial punishment for their actions, but for making reparations to any injured party, and for punishing your slaves. For the same reason, a slave does not have access to the legal system (or the urban prefect or other authority) in any other case than that of abuse, and so you should set a morning aside every month at minimum to hear any complaints your slaves have to make, whether about their fellow slaves or about anything else. If it is something that the urban perfect or other authority deals with, you should weigh up whether to approach them or not (though for things like mains water leaks, anyone should be able to report that, of course - there is usually a free phone number for such things).

You should seek to be a fair master to your slaves, and that means that they need to be able to approach you - and if you require them to go through your secretary or household steward to make an appointment, they should know that. I do not think you should be too approachable to anyone in your household below your senior slaves, although of course your children should be able to see you whenever they wish, when that will not interrupt work or other business. Again, this will demonstrate the differences between your freeborn children and your slaves. Children have the right of access at any time, slaves may only come to you either through an intermediary (a senior slave as suggested above, or perhaps through an adult son or daughter) or at a specified time - and of course slaves cannot expect that you will give them more than ten minutes at a time, your children could well be allowed to stay with you all afternoon.

Another stark difference is in how you treat your children and your slaves. It is common knowledge that slaves are expected to be sexually available to their masters - a wise man once said impudīcītia in ingenuō crimen est, in servō necessitās, in libertō officium. I can’t say I have ever required any of my freedmen to serve me in that way, but anyone who has ever seen any of my VosTubum videos will know the sort of thing I require of my Ven.

The freeborn children are the future of the Empire - the future politicians and soldiers. Slaves are those who do the work of the household, farming and manufacturing and other labour-intensive work so that the citizens can have the time to do all those things the Empire is built on that only the citizens can do.

**Author's Note:**

> Translations:  
> servī līberīs similis - (Title) slaves are like (freeborn) children (I translated this myself, I beg pardon if the Latin is wrong!)  
> salvēte, lēctores - Greeting, readers!  
> (impudīcītia in ingenuō crimen est, in servō necessitās, in libertō officium: sexual shamelessness/lewdness is a crime for the freeborn, a necessity in a slave, a duty for the freedman - Seneca)


End file.
